The Children's After School Achievement (CASA) program at Hope College will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with an emphasis on the people who have helped make the program work, according to Connie Brummel, director of CASA.

"We want to celebrate the service to the children of the community," Brummel said. "And it's been provided by so many people through the years." "The support of the school counselors in referring the students to the program has just been tremendous, as has the consistency of the tutors--Hope College students, high school students and other members of the community," she said. More than 100 volunteers work with the program annually, most as tutors during CASA's afternoon sessions. CASA's 10th anniversary celebration will include an open house on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 20-21, while the program is in session on the Hope campus. Brummel appreciates the timing, since CASA's records show that the program held its first class on October 20, 1987. CASA was established by Marge Rivera, and was originally administered by Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) and housed at First United Methodist Church. The program moved to the college in 1989. CASA runs year-round, providing substance abuse prevention, cultural awareness, academic and career experiences to at-risk first through fifth grade students. A total of 90 students from 10 Holland-area schools are participating during the current school year. The program is intended to improve the students' academic performance and help them develop healthy, productive lifestyles. CASA's students meet after school twice per week for two hours per session throughout the school year, and in the mornings during a six-week summer session. In 1991, CASA was one of only eight programs nationwide honored as a 1991 Exemplary Program by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP). CASA received support from Governor John Engler through a Governor's Discretionary Fund grant in 1992. Brummel noted that such external assistance, like the volunteer tutors, makes a crucial difference in CASA's work. Several local agencies and businesses, as well as individuals, have helped CASA through the years. Local organizations currently supporting CASA's work include the Greater Holland United Way, the Community Development Block Grant program, the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, Holland Community Hospital and the Holland Junior Welfare League. CASA's anniversary celebration also includes a variety of activities intended to enhance the students' awareness of and appreciation for the arts. The students recently studied the architecture of downtown Holland, and later during the year will explore area sculpture, learn about dance and attend a presentation by a representative of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra.